Socio-economic determinants of the tuberculosis morbidity rate and an evaluation of the national tuberculosis control program of the Philippines (NTP) (1975-1991)
Date
1995-04
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Abstract
The thesis sought to prove the hypothesis that the following socio-economic factors affect the morbidity rate of tuberculosis: poverty, the health status of the population, and population congestion. The thesis also evaluated the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) of the DOH from 1975 to 1991 in terms of the policy changes made in that time period. The study used regional data for the years 1975, 1985 and 1991. The "pooled" regression technique was applied in the regression analysis, and dummy variables were used to evaluate the NTP. Real annual average family income was used to represent the poverty variable, infant mortality rates were used to measure health status, and population density and urbanization rates were both used to measure population congestion. The study found that the four proxy variables significantly explained the morbidity rates of TB, although the urbanization coefficient behaved contrary to expectations. The mean morbidity rate levels in 1985 were found to be not significantly different from those in 1985, and the morbidity rates were lowest in 1991. The study concluded that tuberculosis incidence is affected by poverty, the health conditions of the population, population congestion, and also access to health care, as measured by the respective proxy variables. The study also concluded that the decreased TB incidence levels in 1991 were a result of the policy and strategy changes made in 1986 in line with tqe Strengthened NTP.
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Socio-economic , Tuberculosis morbidity, National tuberculosis control